Cellular telephone, control system for controlling device mounted on vehicle, cellular telephone control method, control method for controlling device mounted on vehicle, cellular telephone control program, control program for controlling device mounted on vehicle, and recording medium co

ABSTRACT

A cellular phone unit ( 1 ) is provided with ID information input means for accepting an input of user ID information, ID judging means for judging whether or not the inputted user ID information is identical to pre-registered ID information, authentication information transmission permitting means for deciding whether or not to permit transmission of sender authentication information in accordance with the judgment result, and authentication information transmitting means for sending the sender authentication information in accordance with the decision. A vehicle-mounted control device ( 2 ) is provided with an antenna ( 5 ) and a transmission and reception section ( 6 ) for receiving the sender authentication information, and a control section ( 4 ) and an interface ( 7 ) for judging whether or not the sender authentication information received from the cellular phone unit ( 1 ) is identical to pre-registered authentication information and for controlling vehicle-mounted devices ( 3   a ) through ( 3   c ) in accordance with the judgment result.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system and controlmethod of a vehicle-mounted device using a cellular phone unit; and acellular phone unit and a control method of a cellular phone unit usedtherein.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Conventionally, a remote control technique to lock/unlock thedoors of a vehicle is widely used. A typical example is a keyless entrysystem. In this system, the doors are locked/unlocked if avehicle-mounted control device receives weak radio wave that is sentfrom a dedicated remote controller. The dedicated remote controllersends the weak radio wave whose reachable distance is up to about 50 mto 100 m, in response to pressing of a button of the dedicated remotecontroller.

[0003] Further, as a developed type of the keyless entry system, a smartentry system (or passive entry system) is known. This system unlocks thedoors by detecting the user approaching the vehicle, and locks the doorsby detecting the user leaving the vehicle.

[0004] In these systems, a remote controller held by the user sends apredetermined ID code in response to the button operation or in responseto a request signal sent from the vehicle. Then, the doors are unlocked,etc., if the vehicle-mounted control device can judge the ID code to bevalid.

[0005] By using various types of entry systems as described above, theuser can lock/unlock the doors without much risk that the key could beforged by the third party and without trouble of searching for thekey-hole in the dark.

[0006] With the various types of conventional entry systems, however, ifthe remote controller, which is an equivalent of a conventional metalkey, is lost or stolen, the third party who acquires or steals theremote controller may use the vehicle illegally.

[0007] Further, the user needs to carry around the remote controller forlocking/unlocking the doors, in addition to a metal key to be requiredfor starting the vehicle. Further, as vehicle-mounted devices to becontrolled by remote controllers, such as an audio device and anavigation device, have been recently increased in vehicles, thehandling of these controllers has become more and more complicated.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0008] In order to solve the foregoing problems, the present inventionhas an objective to provide a control system and control method of avehicle-mounted device, a cellular phone unit, and a control method of acellular phone unit, which can realize high security and various devicecontrol.

[0009] In order to achieve the foregoing objective, a cellular phoneunit of the present invention is arranged so as to include IDinformation input means for accepting an input of user ID information;ID judging means for judging whether or not the user ID information thatis inputted through the ID information input means is identical topre-registered ID information; authentication information transmissionpermitting means for deciding whether or not to permit transmission ofsender authentication information to a vehicle-mounted control devicewhich controls a vehicle-mounted device, in accordance with a judgmentresult of the ID judging means, the sender authentication informationbeing used for allowing the vehicle-mounted control device to authorizethe cellular phone unit; and authentication information transmittingmeans for sending the sender authentication information to thevehicle-mounted control device, in accordance with a decision of theauthentication information transmission permitting means.

[0010] Further, a control system of a vehicle-mounted device of thepresent invention which includes the cellular phone unit as arrangedabove, and a vehicle-mounted control device for controlling thevehicle-mounted device in accordance with information sent from thecellular phone unit is so arranged that the vehicle-mounted controldevice includes authentication information receiving means for receivingthe sender authentication information sent from the cellular phone unit;sender authenticating means for judging whether or not the senderauthentication information that is received by the authenticationinformation receiving means is identical to pre-registeredauthentication information; and device control means for controlling thevehicle-mounted device in accordance with a judgment result of thesender authenticating means.

[0011] In these arrangements, the cellular phone unit includes varioustypes of cellular phone unit and PHS (Personal-Handyphone-System), aswell as a PDA (Personal-Digital-Assistant) having the function oftelephonic communication, and the like.

[0012] The user ID information is information for identifying the userof the cellular phone unit. The user ID information may be a personalidentification code composed of a string consisting of characters suchas numbers and symbols, and information representing the voiceprint,fingerprint, retina, or face image of the user, for example. Note that,for enhancing the security, it is preferable to regularly change/updatethe user ID information.

[0013] The vehicle-mounted device may be a device for controlling thesetting operation of the vehicle, such as a door locking/unlockingdevice, an engine start control device (immobilizer), a steering lockdevice, and a power window opening and shutting device of the vehicle.Alternatively, the vehicle-mounted device may be a device optionallyequipped in the vehicle, such as an air conditioner and an audio device.

[0014] With these arrangements, whether or not the cellular phone unitis operated by the valid user is checked in the operation of the IDinformation input means and ID judging means. As a result, if theoperator of the cellular phone unit is judged to be the valid user,namely, the person who inputted the valid user ID information, thecellular phone unit sends the sender authentication information inaccordance with the function of the authentication informationtransmission permitting means and authentication informationtransmitting means. Note that, the sender authentication information maybe any form of information such as digital/analog data, provided thatthe sender authentication information is predefined as commoninformation between the cellular phone unit and the vehicle-mountedcontrol device for identifying the cellular phone unit which is thesender.

[0015] The sender authentication information thus sent from the cellularphone unit is received by the authentication information receiving meansof the vehicle-mounted control device. Then, the sender authenticatingmeans judges whether or not the received sender authenticationinformation is identical to authentication information that ispre-registered in the vehicle-mounted control device. As a result, thevehicle-mounted control device judges whether or not the senderauthentication information is sent from the valid sender thatcorresponds to the vehicle-mounted control device in question. Finally,the vehicle-mounted device is controlled in accordance with a result ofthe judgment.

[0016] Here, the device control means may control the vehicle-mounteddevice without being specially instructed by the cellular phone unit, ifthe vehicle-mounted device performs relatively simple operations, as ina door locking/unlocking device. The device control means may receivedetailed control instructions from the cellular phone unit eithertogether with or separately from the sender authentication information,if the vehicle-mounted device performs relatively complicatedoperations, as in an audio device.

[0017] Note that, the information transmission and reception may usewireless communication such as radio wave and infrared wirelesscommunication, or may use data transmission and reception by directlyconnecting the cellular phone unit with the vehicle-mounted controldevice.

[0018] With this, the user can simply and variously controlvehicle-mounted devices only by carrying around a cellular phone unitwhich is widely used. Further, even if the cellular phone is lost orstolen, it is possible to prevent the third party who acquires or stealsthe cellular phone unit from using the vehicle illegally.

[0019] Further, a control method of a cellular phone unit of the presentinvention is arranged so as to include (i) ID information input step ofinputting user ID information; (ii) ID judging step of judging whetheror not the inputted user ID information is identical to pre-registeredID information; (iii) transmission permitting step of deciding whetheror not to permit transmission of sender authentication information to avehicle-mounted control device which controls a vehicle-mounted device,in accordance with a judgment result in the step (ii), the senderauthentication information being used for allowing the vehicle-mountedcontrol device to authorize the cellular phone unit; and (iv)authentication information transmitting step of sending the senderauthentication information to the vehicle-mounted control device, inaccordance with a decision in the step (iii).

[0020] Further, a control method of a vehicle-mounted device of thepresent invention for controlling the vehicle-mounted device inaccordance with information sent from a cellular phone unit is arrangedso as to include the steps (i) through (iv) in the control method of acellular phone unit as arranged above; (v) authentication informationreceiving step of receiving at a vehicle-mounted control device thesender authentication information sent from the cellular phone unit;(vi) sender authenticating step of judging whether or not the receivedsender authentication information is identical to authenticationinformation that is pre-registered in the vehicle-mounted controldevice; and (vii) device controlling step of controlling thevehicle-mounted device in accordance with a judgment result in the step(vi).

[0021] With these methods, whether or not the cellular phone unit isoperated by the valid user is checked in the steps (i) and (ii). As aresult, if the operator of the cellular phone unit is judged to be thevalid user, namely, the person who inputted the valid user IDinformation, the cellular phone unit sends the sender authenticationinformation in the steps (iii) and (iv).

[0022] The sender authentication information thus sent from the cellularphone unit is received by the vehicle-mounted control device in the step(v). Then, the vehicle-mounted control device judges, in the step (vi),whether or not the received sender authentication information isidentical to authentication information that is pre-registered in thevehicle-mounted control device. As a result, the vehicle-mounted controldevice judges whether or not the sender authentication information issent from the valid sender that corresponds to the vehicle-mountedcontrol device in question. Finally, the vehicle-mounted device iscontrolled in accordance with a result of the judgment in the step(vii).

[0023] In the step (vii), the vehicle-mounted control device may controlthe vehicle-mounted device without being specially instructed by thecellular phone unit, if the vehicle-mounted device performs relativelysimple operations, as in a door locking/unlocking device. Thevehicle-mounted control device may receive detailed control instructionsfrom the cellular phone unit either together with or separately from thesender authentication information, if the vehicle-mounted deviceperforms relatively complicated operations, as in an audio device.

[0024] With this, the user can simply and variously controlvehicle-mounted devices only by carrying around a cellular phone unitwhich is widely used. Further, even if the cellular phone is lost orstolen, it is possible to prevent the third party who acquires or stealsthe cellular phone unit from using the vehicle illegally.

[0025] Note that, the control method of a cellular phone unit may beimplemented by a computer as a control program of a cellular phone unit.Further, the control method of a vehicle-mounted device may beimplemented by a computer as a control program of a vehicle-mounteddevice.

[0026] Further, with a computer-readable recording medium containing thecontrol program of a cellular phone unit as arranged above or thecontrol program of a vehicle-mounted device as arranged above, it ispossible to cause a computer to implement the control method of acellular phone unit or the control method of a vehicle-mounted device.

[0027] For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of theinvention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028]FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a control systemof a vehicle-mounted device in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0029]FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an arrangement ofa cellular phone unit in the control system.

[0030]FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an operation example of the controlsystem.

[0031]FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an operation of the control systemin a case where the control system also judges whether or not a requestsignal has been received from a vehicle-mounted control device.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0032] The following will explain a control system of a vehicle-mounteddevice (hereinafter referred to as the “present control system”) inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention, with referenceto the drawings.

[0033] [1. System Configuration]

[0034]FIG. 1 schematically shows an arrangement of the present controlsystem. As shown in FIG. 1, the present control system is composed of acellular phone unit 1, a vehicle-mounted control device 2, andvehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c.

[0035] The portable phone unit 1 is widely used among consumers. Inaddition to the function of telephone, the portable phone unit 1 offersa variety of services such as the orientation of the cellular phone unit1 which is realized by GPS (Global Positioning System), etc.,information service using various communication networks, music and gamedistribution service, and electronic commerce.

[0036] The vehicle-mounted control device 2 is a control device equippedin vehicles. The vehicle-mounted control device 2 is composed of acontrol section 4 (sender authenticating means), an antenna 5(authentication information receiving means), a transmission andreception section 6 (authentication information receiving means), and aninterface 7 (device control means). The interface 7 is connected to theplurality of vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c.

[0037] In other words, the present control system of the vehicle-mounteddevice is provided with the cellular phone unit 1, and thevehicle-mounted control device 2 which controls the vehicle-mounteddevices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c in response to information sent from thecellular phone unit 1. Note that, in the present specification, thevehicle may be any given form such as a passenger car, a truck, and abus, but the following explanation assumes that the vehicle is apassenger car.

[0038] Next, the arrangements of the cellular phone unit 1 and thevehicle-mounted control device 2 will be explained in detail.

[0039] [2. Arrangement of the Cellular Phone Unit]

[0040]FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an arrangement ofthe cellular phone unit 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the cellular phone unit 1is provided with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 (ID judging means,authentication information transmission permitting means, authenticationinformation transmitting means, device control means), an antenna 12(authentication information transmitting means), a radio-frequencycircuit 13 (authentication information transmitting means), a DSP(Digital Signal Processor) 14, a PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) codec 15, aspeaker 16, a microphone 17, a display section 18, an operation section19 (ID information input means), a memory 20, and an I/O interface 21.

[0041] The CPU 11 is composed of a microcomputer, for example. The CPU11 uses its computational capability to collect and process informationand to give instructions to control circuits. With this, the CPU 11controls the total cellular phone unit 1.

[0042] The radio-frequency circuit 13 generates and controls radio waveby which the cellular phone unit 1 communicates with a base station andthe vehicle-mounted control device 2. The radio-frequency circuit 13typically generates radio wave having a frequency of 800 MHz (megahertz)or 1.5 GHz (gigahertz). Using the radio wave, the cellular phone unit 1can communicate with a base station that is located at a distance ofseveral tens kilometer. The antenna 12 is a metal antenna used togenerate the radio wave.

[0043] The DSP 14 is a digital signal processor, which performs varioustypes of digital signal processing under the control of the CPU 11.

[0044] The PCM codec 15 is a circuit which carries out coding forconverting an analog signal into a digital signal and decoding forconverting a digital signal into an analog signal. The PCM codec 15converts an audio signal (analog signal) detected at the microphone 17into a digital signal so as to transmit the digital signal to the DSP14, and converts a digital signal transmitted from the DSP 14 into anaudio signal so as to output the audio signal to the speaker 16.

[0045] The speaker 16 outputs as an actual sound an electrical audiosignal that is outputted from the PCM codec 15. The user can recognizethe audio output of the cellular phone unit 1 through the speaker 16.

[0046] The microphone 17 detects a sound, such as a voice of the user,as an electrical audio signal. By speaking toward the microphone 17, theuser can carry out telephonic communication using the cellular phoneunit 1.

[0047] The display section 18 is composed of a dot matrix type LCD(Liquid Crystal Display). The display section 18 may be any device suchas an LED (Light Emitting Diode) display, provided that the device candisplay information to the user.

[0048] The operation section 19 is a user interface, and is composed ofa keyboard including a numerical keypad and arrow keys, etc. Theoperation section 19 may be a pointing device, and the like.

[0049] The memory 20 is configured with a semiconductor memory such as aRAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), and aninformation recording device which uses a recording medium such as amagnetic disk drive and an optical disk drive. The memory 20 stores avariety of information under the control of the CPU 11. The memory 20stores a program which enable the CPU 11 to perform control andcomputation, and data.

[0050] The I/O interface 21 is an interface circuit which is controlledby the CPU 11 so as to perform data communication with an externaldevice. As described later, the I/O interface 21 is provided with aconnector and interface circuit for connecting to the vehicle-mountedcontrol device 2.

[0051] Note that, the cellular phone unit 1 of the present embodimentincludes various types of cellular phone unit and PHS as arranged above,as well as a PDA having the function of telephonic communication, andthe like.

[0052] [3. Arrangement of the Vehicle-Mounted Control Device]

[0053] The vehicle-mounted control device 2 is a control device equippedin vehicles. As shown in FIG. 1, he vehicle-mounted control device 2 iscomposed of the control section 4, the antenna 5, the transmission andreception section 6, and the interface 7. Further, the vehicle-mountedcontrol device 2 is connected to the plurality of vehicle-mounteddevices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c via the interface 7.

[0054] The control section 4 is composed of a microcomputer, forexample. The control section 4 uses its computational capability tocollect and process information and to give instructions to controlcircuits. With this, the control section 4 controls the totalvehicle-mounted control device 2.

[0055] The transmission and reception section 6 is a transmission andreception circuit for sending and receiving radio wave that is sent fromthe cellular phone unit 1. The antenna 5 is a metal antenna used for thetransmission and reception.

[0056] The interface 7 is a connection interface for connecting thevehicle-mounted control device 2 to the vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3b, and 3 c. The interface 7 is mainly composed of a connector terminaland an interface circuit.

[0057] The vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c are devices mountedon a vehicle. The vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c may be adevice for controlling the setting operation of the vehicle, such as adoor locking/unlocking device, an engine start control device(immobilizer), a steering lock device, and a power window opening andshutting device of the vehicle. Alternatively, the vehicle-mounteddevices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c may be a device optionally equipped in thevehicle, such as an air conditioner and an audio device. Of course, anynumber of vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c can be connected tothe vehicle-mounted control device 2.

[0058] The vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c which should beoperated by the user before driving the vehicle and which are preferablycontrolled by the present control system may be a door locking/unlockingdevice, an engine start control device, a steering lock device, a powerwindow opening and shutting device, and a driving environment controldevice, for example, of the vehicle. Here, the driving environmentcontrol device is a control device for adjusting user-configuredenvironments such as the seat position, mirror position, and handle tiltposition.

[0059] [4. Operation Example of the Present Control System]

[0060] Next, an operation example of the present control system will beexplained with reference to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the operationexample of the present control system is composed of steps S1 throughS7. The steps S1 through S4 are mainly carried out by the cellular phoneunit 1. The steps S5 through S7 are mainly carried out by thevehicle-mounted control device 2.

[0061] First, the cellular phone unit 1 (see FIG. 2) accepts an input ofuser ID information (S1). Here, the user ID information is informationfor identifying the user of the cellular phone unit 1. The user IDinformation is, for example, a personal identification code composed ofa string consisting of characters such as numbers and symbols (stringconsisting of eight consecutive alphanumeric characters, for example).The user inputs the user ID information through the operation section 19of the cellular phone unit 1. Alternatively, the user ID information maybe information representing the voiceprint, fingerprint, retina, or faceimage of the user, for example. In these cases, the user should inputthe information to the cellular phone unit 1 in advance via themicrophone 17 and a camera section (not shown). Note that, for enhancingthe security, it is preferable to regularly change/update the user IDinformation.

[0062] In the next step, the CPU 11 (see FIG. 2) of the cellular phoneunit 1 judges whether or not the user ID information inputted in S1 isidentical to pre-registered user ID information (S2). In theabove-mentioned example, a valid personal identification code composedof the string consisting of eight consecutive alphanumerical charactershas been already registered in the memory 20 (see FIG. 2), etc., of thecellular phone unit 1. Thus, the CPU 11 judges whether or not theregistered personal identification code is identical to the personalidentification code inputted in S1. With this judgment, the CPU 11checks if the cellular phone unit 1 is operated by the valid user. Inthe case where the user ID information is information representing thevoiceprint, fingerprint, retina, or face image of the user, theinformation is inputted in S11, and, in the present step, compared withpre-registered sound data or image data.

[0063] In the next step, the CPU 11 of the cellular phone unit 1 decideswhether or not to permit the transmission of sender authenticationinformation (S3), in accordance with a result of the judgment in S2 asto whether the user ID information inputted in S1 is identical to thepre-registered user ID information. More specifically, the CPU 11permits the transmission of the sender authentication information if theuser ID information inputted in S1 is identical to the pre-registereduser ID information. On the other hand, the CPU 11 does not permit thetransmission of the sender authentication information if the user IDinformation inputted in S1 is not identical to the pre-registered userID information.

[0064] The sender authentication information may be any form ofinformation such as digital/analog data, provided that the senderauthentication information is predefined as common information betweenthe cellular phone unit 1 and the vehicle-mounted control device 2 foridentifying the cellular phone unit 1 which is the sender. An example ofthe sender authentication information is a sender telephone numberuniquely assigned to each cellular phone unit 1.

[0065] In the next step, the CPU 11 of the cellular phone unit 1 sendsthe sender authentication information (S4) in accordance with a decisionin S3 as to whether or not to permit the transmission of the senderauthentication information. More specifically, if the transmission ofthe sender authentication information is permitted in S3, the CPU 11externally sends the sender authentication information via theradio-frequency circuit 13 and the antenna 12.

[0066] Note that, it is preferable in the step S4 that the CPU 11 of thecellular phone unit 1 sends the sender authentication information afterjudging whether or not the CPU 11 has received a request signal from thevehicle-mounted control device 2. This will be described later in [5.Other Operation Examples].

[0067] In the next step, the control section 4 (see FIG. 1) of thevehicle-mounted control device 2 receives the sender authenticationinformation sent from the cellular phone unit 1 (S5). Namely, thevehicle-mounted control device 2 receives the radio-frequency signalsent from the cellular phone unit 1 via the antenna 5 and thetransmission and reception section 6, and decodes the radio-frequencysignal into the sender authentication information. A result of thedecoding is then properly stored in the control section 4.

[0068] In the next step, the control section 4 of the vehicle-mountedcontrol device 2 judges whether or not the sender authenticationinformation received in S5 is identical to pre-registered authenticationinformation (S6). For example, the control section 4 judges whether ornot the sender telephone number sent from the cellular phone unit 1 isidentical to the pre-registered telephone number (sender telephonenumber of the valid user). With this, the control section 4 of thevehicle-mounted control device 2 can judge whether or not the sendersending the sender authentication information is the valid sender thatcorresponds to the vehicle-mounted control device 2 in question.

[0069] In the last step, the control section 4 of the vehicle-mountedcontrol device 2 controls the vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c(S7) in accordance with a result of the judgment in S6. Here, thecontrol section 4 of the vehicle-mounted control device 2 may controlthe vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c without being speciallyinstructed by the cellular phone unit 1, if the vehicle-mounted devices3 a, 3 b, and 3 c perform relatively simple operations, as in a doorlocking/unlocking device. The control section 4 of the vehicle-mountedcontrol device 2 may receive detailed control instructions from thecellular phone unit 1 either together with or separately from the senderauthentication information, if the vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and3 c perform relatively complicated operations, as in an audio device.

[0070] With these operations, the present control system can simply andvariously control the vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c. Forexample, the user can lock/unlock the doors of the vehicle or activatesthe air conditioner in the vehicle by remotely controlling thevehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c using the cellular phone unit1 habitually carried by the user.

[0071] Further, in the present control system, the vehicle-mounteddevices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c are not controlled unless the user IDinformation is inputted. Thus, if the cellular phone unit 1 which is aninstruction terminal is lost or stolen, the third party who acquires orsteals the cellular phone unit 1 cannot use the vehicle illegally.

[0072] Note that, the operation to be performed by the vehicle-mounteddevices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c under the control of the control section 4 ofthe vehicle-mounted control device 2 is not limited. The vehicle-mounteddevices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c may perform an operation of connecting to anexternal network such as the Internet and a server. Alternatively,control instructions may be sent in reverse direction, namely, from thevehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c to the control section 4, thenfrom the control section 4 to the cellular phone unit 1. For example,the vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c and the vehicle-mountedcontrol device 2 may send control signals to the cellular phone unit 1.With this, the vehicle-mounted control device 2 can realize externalcommunication using the function of telephonic communication inherentlyprovided to the cellular phone unit 1.

[0073] If these operations are realized, the vehicle-mounted controldevice 2 serves as a gateway for external data communication. Forexample, the vehicle-mounted control device 2 can externally send imagedata and sound data of the inside of the vehicle, if a vehicle-mountedcamera (in a 360-degree shooting system, for example) is used as thevehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c. Alternatively, thevehicle-mounted control device 2 can receive a control instruction froman external center via the cellular phone unit 1 so as to control thevehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c.

[0074] The foregoing explained a case where a cellular phonecommunication network is used in the transmission and reception ofinformation between the cellular phone unit 1 and the vehicle-mountedcontrol device 2, but the form of the information transmission andreception is not limited to this. The information transmission andreception may use wireless communication such as radio wave and infraredwireless communication, or may use data transmission and reception bydirectly connecting the cellular phone unit 1 with the vehicle-mountedcontrol device 2.

[0075] If the data transmission and reception by the direct connectionis used for transmitting and receiving information between the cellularphone unit 1 and the vehicle-mounted control device 2, it is preferablethat the vehicle-mounted control device 2 is provided with a cellularphone storing section. The cellular phone storing section stores thecellular phone unit 1 so as to electrically connect the cellular phoneunit 1 with the vehicle-mounted control device 2. A concrete example ofthe cellular phone unit storing section is a storing section having acradle/pocket shape which can stably place the cellular phone unit 1 andwhich has a connector terminal fittingly connecting to the I/O interface21 (see FIG. 2, external connector) of the cellular phone unit 1.

[0076] With this arrangement, when the cellular phone unit 1 is storedin the cellular phone unit storing section, the cellular phone unit 1and the vehicle-mounted control device 2 are electrically connected witheach other so as to be able to communicate with each other. Of course,it is also preferable that through the cellular phone unit storingsection the vehicle-mounted control device supplies electric power tothe cellular phone unit 1, and receives data stored in the cellularphone unit 1 so as to back up the data, or the like.

[0077] If the data transmission and reception by the direct connectionis used for transmitting and receiving information between the cellularphone unit 1 and the vehicle-mounted control device 2, specialcommunication means for mutual communication (such as short-distancewireless means) needs not be provided to either the cellular phone unit1 or vehicle-mounted control device 2.

[0078] The feature of the present control system is expressed asfollows, using the arrangement of the cellular phone unit 1. Thecellular phone unit 1 is arranged so as to include ID information inputmeans for accepting an input of user ID information; ID judging meansfor judging whether or not the user ID information that is inputtedthrough the ID information input means is identical to pre-registered IDinformation; authentication information transmission permitting meansfor deciding whether or not to permit transmission of senderauthentication information in accordance with a judgment result of theID judging means; and authentication information transmitting means forsending the sender authentication information to the vehicle-mountedcontrol device 2 which controls the vehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b,and 3 c, in accordance with a decision of the authentication informationtransmission permitting means, the sender authentication informationbeing used for allowing the vehicle-mounted control device 2 toauthorize the cellular phone unit 1.

[0079] Further, the operation of the present control system is expressedas follows, using the control method of the vehicle-mounted device. Thecontrol method of the vehicle-mounted device is arranged so as toinclude (i) ID information input step of inputting user ID informationto the cellular phone unit 1; (ii) ID judging step of judging whether ornot the inputted user ID information is identical to ID information thatis pre-registered in the cellular phone unit 1; (iii) transmissionpermitting step of deciding whether or not to send sender authenticationinformation, in accordance with a judgment result in the step (ii); (iv)authentication information transmitting step of sending the senderauthentication information in accordance with a decision in the step(iii); (v) authentication information receiving step of receiving thesender authentication information at the vehicle-mounted control device2; (vi) sender authenticating step of judging whether or not thereceived sender authentication information is identical toauthentication information that is pre-registered in the vehicle-mountedcontrol device 2; and (vii) device controlling step of controlling thevehicle-mounted devices 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c in accordance with a judgmentresult in the step (vi).

[0080] [5. Other Operation Examples]

[0081] As explained in S4 in the foregoing operation example (see FIG.3), it is preferable that the CPU 11 (see FIG. 2) of the cellular phoneunit 1 not only decides whether or not to permit the transmission of thesender authentication information in S3 (see FIG. 3), but also judgeswhether or not the CPU 11 has received a request signal from thevehicle-mounted control device 2 (see FIG. 1), before sending the senderauthentication information.

[0082]FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an operation example of the presentcontrol system in a case where the present control system also judgeswhether or not a request signal has been received from thevehicle-mounted control device 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the presentoperation example is composed of steps S10 through S12, which are to beadded to the step S4.

[0083] First, the CPU 11 of the cellular phone unit 1 judges whether ornot to permit the transmission of the sender authentication information(S11). If the transmission of the sender authentication information ispermitted, the CPU 11 further judges whether or not the CPU 11 hasreceived a request signal from the vehicle-mounted control device 2(S11). If the results of the judgment S10 and S11 are negative (NO), theCPU 11 of the cellular phone unit 1 repeats the steps from S10.

[0084] Only if the CPU 11 judges in S11 that the CPU 11 has received arequest signal from the vehicle-mounted control device 2, the cellularphone unit 1 sends the sender authentication information (S12).

[0085] With this arrangement, the CPU 11 of the cellular phone unit 1sends the sender authentication information in response to a requestsignal sent from the vehicle-mounted control device 2. This enables thesender authentication information to be sent at timing convenient to thevehicle-mounted control device 2. For example, it is assumed that theuser approaches the vehicle in a condition where the CPU 11 haspermitted the transmission of the sender authentication information.Here, the sender authentication information is automatically sent to thevehicle-mounted control device 2 when the cellular phone unit 1 detectsa request signal sent from the vehicle-mounted control device 2, forexample. With such automatic transmission, it is possible toautomatically activate the door locking/unlocking device, the airconditioner, and the like.

[0086] As described above, a cellular phone unit of the presentinvention is arranged so as to include ID information input means foraccepting an input of user ID information; ID judging means for judgingwhether or not the user ID information that is inputted through the IDinformation input means is identical to pre-registered ID information;authentication information transmission permitting means for decidingwhether or not to permit transmission of sender authenticationinformation to a vehicle-mounted control device which controls avehicle-mounted device, in accordance with a judgment result of the IDjudging means, the sender authentication information being used forallowing the vehicle-mounted control device to authorize the cellularphone unit; and authentication information transmitting means forsending the sender authentication information to the vehicle-mountedcontrol device, in accordance with a decision of the authenticationinformation transmission permitting means.

[0087] Therefore, if the cellular phone unit judges that the cellularphone unit is operated by the valid user, the cellular phone unit sendsthe sender authentication information. Then, after the vehicle-mountedcontrol device judges whether or not the sender authenticationinformation is sent from the valid sender that corresponds to thevehicle-mounted control device in question, the vehicle-mounted controldevice controls the vehicle-mounted device in accordance with thejudgment result.

[0088] With this, the user can simply and variously controlvehicle-mounted devices only by carrying around a cellular phone unitwhich is widely used. Further, even if the cellular phone is lost orstolen, it is possible to prevent the third party who acquires or stealsthe cellular phone unit from using the vehicle illegally.

[0089] Alternatively, the cellular phone unit of the present inventionis so arranged that the authentication information transmissionpermitting means further decides whether or not to permit thetransmission of the sender authentication information to thevehicle-mounted control device, in accordance with a request signal sentfrom the vehicle-mounted control device.

[0090] With this arrangement, the authentication informationtransmission permitting means sends the sender authenticationinformation in response to a request signal sent from thevehicle-mounted control device. This enables the cellular phone unit tosend the sender authentication information at timing convenient to thevehicle-mounted control device. For example, it is assumed that the userapproaches the vehicle in a condition where the authenticationinformation transmission permitting means has permitted the transmissionof the sender authentication information. Here, the senderauthentication information is automatically sent to the vehicle-mountedcontrol device when the cellular phone unit detects a request signalsent from the vehicle-mounted control device, for example. With suchautomatic transmission, it is possible to automatically activate thedoor locking/unlocking device, the air conditioner, and the like.

[0091] With this, in addition to the foregoing effect, it is possible toauthenticate the sender and subsequently control the devices withoutconsciously operated by the user. Further, the cellular phone unit canresend the sender authentication information in response to a request ofthe vehicle-mounted control device. With this, it is possible toaccurately authenticate the sender even if trouble occurs in thetransmission and reception of the sender authentication information.

[0092] As described above, a control system of a vehicle-mounted deviceof the present invention which includes the cellular phone unit asarranged above, and a vehicle-mounted control device for controlling thevehicle-mounted device in accordance with information sent from thecellular phone unit is so arranged that the vehicle-mounted controldevice includes authentication information receiving means for receivingthe sender authentication information sent from the cellular phone unit;sender authenticating means for judging whether or not the senderauthentication information that is received by the authenticationinformation receiving means is identical to pre-registeredauthentication information; and device control means for controlling thevehicle-mounted device in accordance with a judgment result of thesender authenticating means.

[0093] Therefore, if the cellular phone unit judges that the cellularphone unit is operated by the valid user, the cellular phone unit sendsthe sender authentication information. Then, after the vehicle-mountedcontrol device judges whether or not the sender authenticationinformation is sent from the valid sender that corresponds to thevehicle-mounted control device in question, the vehicle-mounted controldevice controls the vehicle-mounted device in accordance with thejudgment result.

[0094] With this, the user can simply and variously controlvehicle-mounted devices only by carrying around a cellular phone unitwhich is widely used. Further, even if the cellular phone is lost orstolen, it is possible to prevent the third party who acquires or stealsthe cellular phone unit from using the vehicle illegally.

[0095] Alternatively, the control system of a vehicle-mounted device ofthe present invention is so arranged that the vehicle-mounted controldevice further includes a cellular phone unit storing section forstoring the cellular phone unit so as to electrically connect thecellular phone unit with the vehicle-mounted control device.

[0096] The shape, etc., of the cellular phone unit storing section isnot limited here. A preferable example is the cellular phone unitstoring section having a cradle/pocket shape which can stably place thecellular phone unit and which has a connector terminal fittinglyconnecting to the external connector of the cellular phone unit.

[0097] With this arrangement, when the cellular phone unit is stored inthe cellular phone unit storing section, the cellular phone unit and thevehicle-mounted control device are electrically connected with eachother so as to be able to communicate with each other. With this, thecellular phone unit can send the sender authentication information andother control information to the vehicle-mounted control device via thecellular phone unit storing means. Alternatively, the vehicle-mountedcontrol device may send control signals to the cellular phone unit,thereby realizing external communication using the function oftelephonic communication inherently provided to the cellular phone unit.

[0098] With this, in addition to the foregoing effect, the user can sendand receive the sender authentication information and vehicle deviceinformation only by storing the cellular phone unit in the cellularphone unit storing section. Further, as the cellular phone unit and thevehicle-mounted control device are directly connected with each otherfor communication, special communication means for mutual communication(such as short-distance wireless means) needs not be provided to eitherthe cellular phone unit or the vehicle-mounted control device.

[0099] Alternatively, the control system of a vehicle-mounted device ofthe present invention is so arranged that the vehicle-mounted deviceincludes either a vehicle door locking and unlocking device, an enginestart control device, a steering lock device, a power window opening andshutting device, or a driving environment control device.

[0100] Here, the driving environment control device is a control devicefor adjusting user-configured environments such as the seat position,mirror position, and handle tilt position.

[0101] With this arrangement, in addition to the foregoing effect, theuser can easily control the vehicle-mounted devices to be controlledbefore driving the vehicle.

[0102] As described above, a control method of a cellular phone unit ofthe present invention is arranged so as to include (i) ID informationinput step of inputting user ID information; (ii) ID judging step ofjudging whether or not the inputted user ID information is identical topre-registered ID information; (iii) transmission permitting step ofdeciding whether or not to permit transmission of sender authenticationinformation to a vehicle-mounted control device which controls avehicle-mounted device, in accordance with a judgment result in the step(ii), the sender authentication information being used for allowing thevehicle-mounted control device to authorize the cellular phone unit; and(iv) authentication information transmitting step of sending the senderauthentication information to the vehicle-mounted control device, inaccordance with a decision in the step (iii).

[0103] Therefore, if the operator of the cellular phone unit is judgedto be the valid user in the steps (i) and (ii), the cellular phone unitsends the sender authentication information. Then, after thevehicle-mounted control device judges whether or not the senderauthentication information is sent from the valid sender thatcorresponds to the vehicle-mounted control device in question, thevehicle-mounted control device controls the vehicle-mounted device inaccordance with the judgment result.

[0104] With this, the user can simply and variously controlvehicle-mounted devices only by carrying around a cellular phone unitwhich is widely used. Further, even if the cellular phone is lost orstolen, it is possible to prevent the third party who acquires or stealsthe cellular phone unit from using the vehicle illegally.

[0105] Alternatively, the control method of a cellular phone unit of thepresent invention is so arranged that, in the step (iii), whether or notto permit the transmission of the sender authentication information tothe vehicle-mounted control device is further decided in accordance witha request signal sent from the vehicle-mounted control device.

[0106] Therefore, in the step (iii), the sender authenticationinformation is sent in response to a request signal sent from thevehicle-mounted control device. This enables the sender authenticationinformation to be sent at timing convenient to the vehicle-mountedcontrol device.

[0107] With this, in addition to the foregoing effect, it is possible toauthenticate the sender and subsequently control the devices withoutconsciously operated by the user. Further, the cellular phone unit canresend the sender authentication information in response to a request ofthe vehicle-mounted control device. With this, it is possible toaccurately authenticate the sender even if trouble occurs in thetransmission and reception of the sender authentication information.

[0108] Further, a control method of a vehicle-mounted device of thepresent invention for controlling the vehicle-mounted device inaccordance with information sent from a cellular phone unit is arrangedso as to include the steps (i) through (iv) in the control method of acellular phone unit as arranged above; (v) authentication informationreceiving step of receiving at a vehicle-mounted control device thesender authentication information sent from the cellular phone unit;(vi) sender authenticating step of judging whether or not the receivedsender authentication information is identical to authenticationinformation that is pre-registered in the vehicle-mounted controldevice; and (vii) device controlling step of controlling thevehicle-mounted device in accordance with a judgment result in the step(vi).

[0109] Therefore, if the operator of the cellular phone unit is judgedto be the valid user, the cellular phone unit sends the senderauthentication information. Then, after receiving the senderauthentication information in the step (v), the vehicle-mounted controldevice judges, in the step (vi), whether or not the received senderauthentication information is identical to authentication informationthat is pre-registered in the vehicle-mounted control device. As aresult of the judgment, if the sender authentication information is sentfrom the valid sender that corresponds to the vehicle-mounted controldevice in question, the vehicle-mounted control device controls thevehicle-mounted device.

[0110] With this, the user can simply and variously controlvehicle-mounted devices only by carrying around a cellular phone unitwhich is widely used. Further, even if the cellular phone is lost orstolen, it is possible to prevent the third party who acquires or stealsthe cellular phone unit from using the vehicle illegally.

[0111] Note that, the control method of a cellular phone unit may beimplemented by a computer as a control program of a cellular phone unit.Likewise, the control method of a vehicle-mounted device may beimplemented by a computer as a control program of a vehicle-mounteddevice.

[0112] Further, with a computer-readable recording medium containing thecontrol program of a cellular phone unit as arranged above or thecontrol program of a vehicle-mounted device as arranged above, it ispossible to cause a computer to implement the control method of acellular phone unit or the control method of a vehicle-mounted device.

[0113] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that thesame may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regardedas a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intendedto be included within the scope of the following claims.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0114] The present invention provides a control system and controlmethod of a vehicle-mounted device; a cellular phone unit and a controlmethod of a cellular phone unit used in the control system and controlmethod of a vehicle-mounted device; a control program of avehicle-mounted device; a control program of a cellular phone unit; anda recording medium recording the program. With this, the user can simplyand variously control vehicle-mounted devices only by carrying around acellular phone unit which is widely used. Further, even if the cellularphone is lost or stolen, it is possible to prevent the third party whoacquires or steals the cellular phone unit from using the vehicleillegally.

[0115] This realizes high security and various device control.

1-11 (Canceled).
 12. A portable instruction terminal, comprising: IDinformation input means for accepting an input of user ID information;ID judging means for judging whether or not said user ID informationthat is inputted through said ID information input means is identical topre-registered ID information; authentication information transmissionpermitting means for permitting transmission of sender authenticationinformation to a control device which controls a control target device,if said ID judging means judges that said user ID information isidentical to the pre-registered ID information, said senderauthentication information being used for allowing said control deviceto authorize said portable instruction terminal; and authenticationinformation transmitting means for sending said sender authenticationinformation to said control device, if said authentication informationtransmission permitting means permits the transmission of said senderauthentication information.
 13. The portable instruction terminal as setforth in claim 12, wherein: said authentication information transmissionpermitting means further decides whether or not to permit thetransmission of said sender authentication information to said controldevice, in accordance with a request signal sent from said controldevice.
 14. The portable instruction terminal as set forth in claim 12,wherein: said authentication information transmitting means sends acontrol instruction either together with or separately from said senderauthentication information.
 15. The portable instruction terminal as setforth in claim 14, wherein: said portable instruction terminal receivesthe control instruction from an external device, using a function oftelephonic communication.
 16. The-portable instruction terminal as setforth in claim 12, wherein: said portable instruction terminal performsexternal communication in accordance with a control signal received fromsaid control target device or said control device, using a function oftelephonic communication.
 17. The portable instruction terminal as setforth in claim 12, wherein: said portable instruction terminal is acellular phone unit.
 18. A control system of a control target devicewhich includes a portable instruction terminal, and a control device forcontrolling said control target device in accordance with informationsent from said portable instruction terminal, wherein: said portableinstruction terminal includes: ID information input means for acceptingan input of user ID information; ID judging means for judging whether ornot said user ID information that is inputted through said IDinformation input means is identical to pre-registered ID information;authentication information transmission permitting means for permittingtransmission of sender authentication information to said control devicewhich controls said control target device, if said ID judging meansjudges that said user ID information is identical to the pre-registeredID information, said sender authentication information being used forallowing said control device to authorize said portable instructionterminal; and authentication information transmitting means for sendingsaid sender authentication information to said control device, if saidauthentication information transmission permitting means permits thetransmission of said sender authentication information, and said controldevice includes: authentication information receiving means forreceiving said sender authentication information sent from said portableinstruction terminal; sender authenticating means for judging whether ornot said sender authentication information that is received by saidauthentication information receiving means is identical topre-registered authentication information; and device control means forcontrolling said control target device in accordance with a judgmentresult of said sender authenticating means.
 19. The control system of acontrol target device as set forth in claim 18, wherein said controldevice further includes: a storing section for storing said portableinstruction terminal so as to electrically connect said portableinstruction terminal with said control device.
 20. The control system ofa control target device as set forth in claim 18, wherein: the controldevice is a vehicle-mounted control device for controlling avehicle-mounted device as the control target device.
 21. The controlsystem of a control target device as set forth in claim 20, wherein:said control target device includes either a vehicle door locking andunlocking device, an engine start control device, a steering lockdevice, a power window opening and shutting device, or a drivingenvironment control device.
 22. A control method of a portableinstruction terminal, comprising: (i) ID information input step ofinputting user ID information; (ii) ID judging step of judging whetheror not said input user ID information is identical to pre-registered IDinformation; (iii) transmission permitting step of permittingtransmission of sender authentication information to a control devicewhich controls a control target device, if said user ID information isjudged to be identical to the pre-registered ID information in said step(ii), said sender authentication information being used for allowingsaid control device to authorize said portable instruction terminal; and(iv) authentication information transmitting step of sending said senderauthentication information to said control device, if the transmissionof said sender authentication information is permitted in said step(iii).
 23. The control method of a portable instruction terminal as setforth in claim 22, wherein: in said step (iii), whether or not to permitthe transmission of said sender authentication information to saidcontrol device is further decided in accordance with a request signalsent from said control device.
 24. A control method of a control targetdevice in which a control device controls said control target device inaccordance with information sent from a portable instruction terminal,comprising: (i) ID information input step of inputting user IDinformation to said portable instruction terminal; (ii) ID judging stepof judging by said portable instruction terminal whether or not saidinput user ID information is identical to pre-registered ID information;(iii) transmission permitting step of permitting said portableinstruction terminal to send sender authentication information to saidcontrol device which controls said control target device, if said userID information is judged to be identical to the pre-registered IDinformation in said step (ii), said sender authentication informationbeing used for allowing said control device to authorize said portableinstruction terminal; (iv) authentication information transmitting stepof transmitting said sender authentication information from saidportable instruction terminal to said control device, if thetransmission of said sender authentication information is permitted insaid step (iii); (v) authentication information receiving step ofreceiving at said control device said sender authentication informationsent from said portable instruction terminal; (vi) sender authenticatingstep of judging whether or not said received sender authenticationinformation is identical to authentication information that ispre-registered in said control device; and (vii) device controlling stepof controlling said control target device in accordance with a judgmentresult in said step (vi).
 25. A control program of a portableinstruction terminal for causing a computer to implement a method whichincludes: (i) ID information input step of inputting user IDinformation; (ii) ID judging step of judging whether or not said inputuser ID information is identical to pre-registered ID information; (iii)transmission permitting step of permitting transmission of senderauthentication information to a control device which controls a controltarget device, if said user ID information is judged to be identical tothe pre-registered ID information in said step (ii), said senderauthentication information being used for allowing said control deviceto authorize said portable instruction terminal; and (iv) authenticationinformation transmitting step of sending said sender authenticationinformation to said control device, if the transmission of said senderauthentication information is permitted in said step (iii).
 26. Acontrol program of a control target device for causing a computer toimplement a method which includes: (i) ID information input step ofinputting user ID information to a portable instruction terminal; (ii)ID judging step of judging by said portable instruction terminal whetheror not said input user ID information is identical to pre-registered IDinformation; (iii) transmission permitting step of permitting saidportable instruction terminal to send sender authentication informationto a control device which controls said control target device, if saiduser ID information is judged to be identical to the pre-registered IDinformation in said step (ii), said sender authentication informationbeing used for allowing said control device to authorize said portableinstruction terminal; (iv) authentication information transmitting stepof transmitting said sender authentication information from saidportable instruction terminal to said control device, if thetransmission of said sender authentication information is permitted insaid step (iii); (v) authentication information receiving step ofreceiving at said control device said sender authentication informationsent from said portable instruction terminal; (vi) sender authenticatingstep of judging whether or not said received sender authenticationinformation is identical to authentication information that ispre-registered in said control device; and (vii) device controlling stepof controlling said control target device in accordance with a judgmentresult in said step (vi).
 27. A computer-readable recording mediumcontaining a control program of a portable instruction terminal, saidcontrol program causing a computer to implement a method which includes:(i) ID information input step of inputting user ID information; (ii) IDjudging step of judging whether or not said input user ID information isidentical to pre-registered ID information; (iii) transmissionpermitting step of permitting transmission of sender authenticationinformation to a control device which controls a control target device,if said user ID information is judged to be identical to thepre-registered ID information in said step (ii), said senderauthentication information being used for allowing said control deviceto authorize said portable instruction terminal; and (iv) authenticationinformation transmitting step of sending said sender authenticationinformation to said control device, if the transmission of said senderauthentication information is permitted in said step (iii).
 28. Acomputer-readable recording medium containing a control program of acontrol target device, said control program causing a computer toimplement a method which includes: (i) ID information input step ofinputting user ID information to a portable instruction terminal; (ii)ID judging step of judging by said portable instruction terminal whetheror not said input user ID information is identical to pre-registered IDinformation; (iii) transmission permitting step of permitting saidportable instruction terminal to send sender authentication informationto a control device which controls said control target device, if saiduser ID information is judged to be identical to the pre-registered IDinformation in said step (ii), said sender authentication informationbeing used for allowing said control device to authorize said portableinstruction terminal; (iv) authentication information transmitting stepof transmitting said sender authentication information from saidportable instruction terminal to said control device, if thetransmission of said sender authentication information is permitted insaid step (iii); (V) authentication information receiving step ofreceiving at said control device said sender authentication informationsent from said portable instruction terminal; (vi) sender authenticatingstep of judging whether or not said received sender authenticationinformation is identical to authentication information that ispre-registered in said control device; and (vii) device controlling stepof controlling said control target device in accordance with a judgmentresult in said step (vi).